ST Photo Tip # 7 : Study Video to improve your Photo Skills

Being a photographer, you might be used to watching photographs from various photographers. You might have been addicted to seeing pictures published in newspapers, magazines, brochure etc. This is a good habit since it lets you study how the photographer made the photograph. It introduces you to viewpoint & thinking process of other photographer. Overtime, this will lead to a gradual growth in your photography skills. However, have you spared a thought of doing the same thing with video?

Photographers often perceive, video to be a totally different field & don’t seem to pay any attention to it. However if one looks closely, both photography & video share the same roots. Video shooters even abide by the rule of thirds, use a similar lighting setup while shooting video. If you observe movies closely, you’ll notice how the camera glides through the shot & at any point of time, the frame is perfectly framed. The lighting looks great, the composition is immaculate & so is a great deal of attention given to keeping the frames uncluttered. In movie’s, often DOF is managed perfectly & its an area where photographers can learn a lot from. Then there are framing techniques, like framing from within something, framing besides something & framing in such a way which might give photographers a new way to compose.

It has become an unconscious exercise for me, to pay attention to the cinematography whenever I’m watching any TV Show or a movie. I’m always thinking of the light, the composition technique, the camera movement etc. This has helped me immensely in improving my photography skills. Similarly, for cinematographers doing the reverse will also hold good. Next time, while watching a movie try this & you’ll appreciate how it helps to raise the bar of your photography. However, don’t complain to me if you miss the story-line doing so. It has happened with me on a few occasions .😉